The Karri Parent Survey 2026

From phones in the classroom to a child’s first social media account, money independence and even the going rate for the Tooth Fairy, the Karri Parent Survey 2026 asked parents what they really think.

Ask a group of parents about children and phones and you are unlikely to get a quiet conversation.

When should they get their first phone? Should phones be allowed at school? When is a child ready for social media? And, as children become more independent, how much freedom should they have when it comes to their own money?

These are everyday questions families and Schools are navigating in real time.

So, earlier this year, we asked parents.

The Karri Parent Survey 2026 was conducted through the Karri App during March and April. In total, 2,780 parents responded, representing more than 4,751 school-going children across all nine South African provinces. Respondents are Karri App users and primarily represent urban, economically active households. Different respondents were also served different questions at random, so sample sizes vary between questions. 

And while the topics ranged from serious to slightly more light-hearted, one theme kept coming through: parents are not rejecting technology or independence. They want clearer boundaries around them. That is also the central message identified for Karri’s radio interviews. 

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Phones at school: most parents want rules

The clearest result in the survey came from the question of phones at school.

A significant 91% of respondents want some form of control over cell phones during the school day.

But that does not necessarily mean removing phones altogether.

While 37% support a complete ban, the largest group, 54% believe children should be allowed to bring phones to school, provided they are locked away during the school day. Only 7% support unrestricted phone use at school. 

The age of the child also makes a difference.

Among respondents whose oldest school-going child was between five and seven, 48% supported an outright ban. That drops to 18% among parents whose oldest child was between 15 and 18. For parents of older children, keeping phones available but locked away during school becomes the much more popular option. 

It is an interesting middle ground.

Parents recognise that phones have become part of everyday family life, particularly as children get older. But being able to reach a child and allowing a phone to compete for their attention throughout the school day are two very different things.

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The first phone is arriving relatively early

There is another reason this conversation matters: for many families, phones enter the picture well before the teenage years are over.

Among 1,308 respondents who answered this question, the most common age range for giving a child a SIM card and mobile phone was 10 to 13 years old, accounting for 42% of responses. 

So, for many families, decisions about digital responsibility are starting while children are still in primary school.

And having a phone does not necessarily mean parents believe a child is ready for everything that comes with it.

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When it comes to social media, 16 is the number that stands out

Parents were notably more cautious about social media.

Of the 2,276 respondents who gave an exact age, 74% said children should be 16 or older before getting a social media account, while 30% said they should wait until at least 18. Both the average and median recommended age were 16. 

The reasons parents gave are just as revealing as the number itself.

Maturity and readiness were the most commonly raised theme, mentioned in 43% of the responses analysed. Safety and online dangers followed at 31%, with parents mentioning concerns such as harmful content, scams and predators. Mental health and negative influence, including bullying, comparison, addiction and self-esteem, was raised by 21%. 

One parent summed up the feeling simply:

“Kids should first learn to be social in real-time, real-life moments.”

The message is not that children should be disconnected. It is that access needs to come with readiness.

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Financial independence comes with its own set of boundaries

The same tension between independence and oversight appeared when we asked parents about youth banking.

Parents’ leading concerns were not primarily about cost. They were about keeping their child’s money secure and keeping spending in check.

Theft, loss and unauthorised use were among the safety concerns raised, while overspending and a lack of day-to-day control were central to the spending conversation. Cost and affordability, as well as losing the physical card, were also mentioned. 

For parents, this appears to be less about preventing children from managing money and more about creating a safe space in which they can learn.

Children need opportunities to make everyday money decisions. Parents, understandably, still want appropriate oversight while those habits are developing.

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Three in four respondents have no education insurance

Away from phones, social media and spending, one of the more serious findings came from the survey’s questions about education planning.

74.7% of respondents said they currently have no insurance specifically covering education costs. A further 12.3% reported having a stand-alone education policy, while 12% said education was specified in a life insurance policy. 

It raises a practical question for families: what happens to a child’s education plans when circumstances change unexpectedly?

It is perhaps not a conversation families have every day, but the result shows that education protection deserves a place alongside the more immediate discussions around school fees, budgets and everyday family finances.

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And then there is the Tooth Fairy…

Not every question needed to be quite so serious.

The Karri Tooth Fairy Index returned for another look at one of the first money moments many children experience.

According to respondents whose Tooth Fairy last visited in 2026, the average payment reached R46.95 per tooth, up from R44.26 in 2025. The 2026 median was R30. 

It may be a small household tradition, but it offers a fun snapshot of how money shows up in family life, sometimes long before children have their first phone, social media account or bank card.

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More independence, with better boundaries

Taken together, the findings tell a fairly consistent story.

Parents know that children are growing up in a world of smartphones, digital payments, online platforms and increasing independence. They are not necessarily trying to stop that change.

What they are asking for is more control over when, where and how that independence develops.

A phone can be useful without needing to be in a child’s hand throughout the school day.

Social media can be part of growing up without needing to start as early as possible.

Learning to manage money matters, but so do security and sensible limits.

The tools may be changing quickly. The parenting question underneath them is much more familiar: how do we give children enough freedom to learn while keeping the right guardrails in place?

The Karri Parent Survey 2026 suggests that, for many of our parent respondents, that balance matters more than ever. 

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About the Karri Parent Survey 2026

The Karri Parent Survey 2026 was conducted through the Karri App in March and April 2026. A total of 2,780 parents responded, representing more than 4,751 school-going children across all nine provinces. Respondents are Karri App users and primarily represent urban, economically active households. Different respondents were served different questions at random, resulting in sample-size variations between questions. 

Explore the full Karri Parent Survey 2026

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